18 suspected ‘Yahoo Boys’ paraded in Cross River State (NEWS)

Operatives of the special task force of the Uyo Zonal Office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday June 20, 2019, made a harvest of eleven suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as ‘Yahoo Boys’ in an apartment on Parliamentary Extension, Akai Efa, Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

The all male suspects are: Endurance Ahunwan (28), Nohuwan Frank (26), Dominic Chidiebere (28), Idehe Efosa (17), Patrick Edos (27), Samuel Ukiwe (21) and Michael Edward 25. Others are: Destiny Efe (17), Hope Yusuf (19), Harrison Esi (17) and Igbinigun Osamudia (17).

Seventeen-year-old Esi was found hiding in the roof of the apartment along with some of their tools of operation. According to him, their leader, Ahunwan instructed him to conceal himself and the gadgets in the roof in order to prevent his arrest and confiscation of the tools.

“Our leader ordered me to hide in the ceiling with the gadgets so that I will not be nabbed also,” Esi said.

Upon arrest, Ahunwan the prime suspect, confessed that he recruited the team, saying they were paying back Europeans for stealing from their forefathers. He also alleged that the parents of the arrested accomplices gave their consent and pleaded with him to help their children secure a means of livelihood.

Items recovered from the suspected fraudsters include: 10 laptops, eight internet modems, several sophisticated telephone handsets, including one iphone, technical devices and scam emails. Similarly, seven suspected internet fraudsters were on Friday, June 21, 2019 arrested by officers of the Kaduna Zonal Office of the Commission.

The suspects, whose age ranged between 20 and 33 years were apprehended around 5a.m in an apartment along Ihejirika Close, Becky, Karu, Nasarawa State. They include: Peter Olu Tsetimi, Ogunbiyi Adekunle A, Emuze Omosigho Emmanuel and Isaac Daro Obozokhai.

Others are: Samuel Nana-Kofi Eruese, Edward Yusuf and Peace Manayin (female).

The suspected internet fraudsters held sway around Mararaba, Nyanya and Karu axis of Nasarawa State and Federal Capital Territory, FCT. One of the suspects poses as an engineer with Exxon Mobil, the others also use false identities to defraud unsuspecting people within and outside Nigeria.

Items recovered from them include expensive watches and necklaces, expensive phones, tablets, laptops and several fraudulent documents. All the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.